Automatic water closet

ABSTRACT

This invention pertains to automatic water closets which depart from the conventional closets in that the latter type utilizes pocket of water to shut off the foul air emanating from the waste&#39;&#39;s tank and at the same time floats the newly evacuated wastes on the said pocket of water. This new closet does away with presently existing reservoirs and other auxiliaries but instead makes use, as one of its main features, of a slow-acting water valve which controls the flow of water direct from the sewage pipe, said valve being actuated by the user&#39;&#39;s own weight. When in use, the closet&#39;&#39;s valve is opened by the depressing action on the closet&#39;&#39;s seat as effected by the user&#39;&#39;s weight. This sets a system of spring, rods and links to open simultaneously the said valve and a cover means the opening of which spills the sealant and exposes the discharge port through which the newly evacuated waste is disposed immediately (i.e., not made to float). Since the valve is open, cleansing water is flushed continuously through a system of orifices and outlets. The valve in itself is a unit which is a confined system of rods, washers and spring. As the weight of the user is lifted, the releasing action of the spring closes a passageway of the water at a predetermined slowness to allow continuity of flow of the washing water for a time even after usage of said closet. Such a slow action of the valve is insured by the gradual squeezing of the trapped water out of the confined chamber of the valve. The said valve, therefore, closes automatically and tightly after all of said trapped liquid is expelled.

United States Patent [1 1 Llames Nov. 6, 1973 1 AUTOMATIC WATER CLOSET [76] Inventor: Emil C. Llames, 694 E. de los Santos Ave., Quezon City, Philippines [22] Filed: May 6, 1971 [2]] Appl No.: 140,692

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 15, 1970 Philippines UM 1341 Mar. 12, 1971 Philippines 12283 [52] U.S. Cl 4/64, 4/76, 4/82, 4/85 [51] Int. Cl E0311 l/34, E03d 5/04 [58] Field of Search 4/55,-56, 57, 57 D, 4/67, 67 A, 79, 85, 54, 82, 93, 144, 131, 64

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,458 9/1898 McLaran 4/82 1,128,243 2/1915 Gish 4/93 3,214,772 11/1965 Roberts et a1. 4/79 3,364,502 1/1968 Fyans 4/54 X 3,458,873 8/1969 Nordstadt et al 4/144 X 2,210,630 8/1940 Duner 4/76 754,733 3/1904 Allen 4/76 X Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Attorney-Michael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT This invention pertains to automatic water closets which depart from the conventional closets in that the latter type utilizes pocket of water to shutoff the foul air emanating from the wastes tank and at the same time floats the newly evacuated wastes on the said pocket of water.

This new closet does away with presently existing reservoirs and other auxiliaries but instead makes use, as one of its main features, ofa slow-acting water valve which controls the flow of water direct from the sewage pipe, said valve being actuated by the users own weight.

When in use, the closet's valve is opened by the depressing action on the closets seat as effected by the users weight. This sets a system of spring, rods and links to open simultaneously the said valve and a cover means the opening of which spills the sealant and exposes the discharge port through which the newly evacuated waste is disposed immediately (i.e., not made to float). Since the valve is open, cleansing water is flushed continuously through a system of orifices and outlets.

The valve in itself is a unit which is a confined system of rods, washers and spring. As the weight of the user is lifted, the releasing action of the spring closes a passageway of the water at a predetermined slowness to allow continuity of flow of the washing water for a time even after usage of said closet. Such a slow action of the valve is insured by the gradual squeezing of the trapped water out of the confined chamber of the valve. The said valve, therefore, closes automatically and tightly after'all of said trapped liquid is expelled.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED NOV 6 I973 SHEET 2 BF 3 PATENTEU NOV 6 I975 SHEET 30F 3 AUTOMATIC WATER CLOSET This invention relates to water closets and, more particularly, to automatic water closets.

Present closets utilize a pocket of water to shut off the foul air emanating from the septic tank. This practice, however, does not spare the user from the sight and smell of the newly evacuated waste, as newly evacuated wastes float on the pocket of water. In addition, the water reservoirs of these closets frequently malfunction and their drain or discharge pipes easily clog.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a water closet which will get rid of the aforementioned defects of an ordinary water closet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a water closet which is economical and easy to clean.

Otherobjects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the inventions rod seal which is connected to the top flange or major peripheral edge portion of the toilet bowl;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the invention with the swingable cover or second water seal closed and filled with water;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the invention with the swingable cover in open position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention with some parts sectioned to show the connection of the various components at the rear of the bowl;

F IG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front portion of the bowl;

FIG. 7 is a top view of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the details ofa preferred slow acting water valve used in the invention.

Referring now to the drawings with the aid of reference numerals, the numeral 1 designates the structurally designed closet housing or Casing which serves as cabinet for the various operating parts within said housupwardly extended part and is positioned on top of ing. Housing 1 has a base provided with holes for attachment. The sideand front walls of said housing are contoured to follow essentially the shape of the toilet bowl while its rear wall is vertical and spacedly located backward to provide a chamber for the operating parts at the rear of the toilet bowl. Attached at one side of the housing is the gasketed access door 2 which may be opened when servicing or repairing any of the operating parts within the housing. Situated on the top of the housing is the top flange or major peripheral edge portion 3 of the toilet bowl 4. Toilet bowl 4 comprises an essentially fructo-conical catch basin 5 with its bottom communicating with a vertical cylinder 6 whose inside diameter is greater than that of said bottom. Cylinder 6 terminates close to and directly above the discharge opening 7 at the base of housing 1 which, in turn, is connected to the sewer or waste pipe 8. Catch basin 5 is also provided with a centrally located concavoconvex upper front portion 9 which extends upwardly above the level of flange "3. The extended part 10 of said portion 9 is provided with parallel elongated slots 11 wherein the hinge pins 12 of the toilet seat 13 are slidably fitted. The purpose of hinge pins 12 is to keep the seat in its proper position as it actuates other parts of the closet. Seat 13 is essentially shaped after that of flange 3 with its front portion cut to accomodate the said flange with its rear portion elevated. Like in conventional toilet seats, the under side of seat 13 is provided with spaced rubber bumpers 14 for obvious reasons. Within the top flange.3 is provided the circular passageway 15 for flus water having a plurality of slanted ports or orifices 16 which serve to discharge the flush water in a spiraling manner into the bowl. As an adjunct to the orifices, the toilet bowl is further provided with a rearwardly located nozzle 17 above the cylinder 6. Said nozzle as well as the circular passageway 15 are connected to the water source by means of the conveniently disposed passageway 18. The water sprays produced by orifices 16 simultaneously wash the toilet bowl as well as such and entrain the unpleasant odor emanating from the newly evacuated waste, while the water spray coming from the nozzle 17 serves as a barrier to prevent evolution of the foul odor originating from the drain pipe and coming out of the cylinder 6. Then, the exposed wall of cylinder 6 is washed by water coming from both the nozzle 17 and the orifices 16.

As earlier mentioned, seat 13 is positioned on top of flange 3 with its rear portion elevated. This rear portion is supported by a vertical operating rod 19 which extends downwardly from and passes through the top side 20 of housing 1. Rod 19, as shown in the drawings, is held in place by sleeve 21 which is fitted through the topside 20 and screwably secured thereat by nut 22 inside hole 23. The upper end of rod 19 is held by 21 diametrically aligned bushing 24 of the support bar 25 screwed under seat 13.

Sleeve 21, aside-from holding rod 19, also serves to guide the vertical movement of rod 19. Around the midportion of'rod. 19 is the first liquid seal 26 which is tubular in shape with its lower end 27 closed and integrally attached to rod 19. Seal 26 is provided with a top hole that loosely fits about the downwardly extending portion of sleeve 21 and is nearly filled with liquid, such as water, which serves to seal off the foul odor emanating from the wastepipe 8. Pivotally connected to the lower end of rod .19 is a link 28 which is also pivotally linked to the lever arm 29 of a horizontally positioned lug 30. Lug 30 pivots, in turn, around a horizontal shaft 31 whose ends are held by diametrically aligned supports 32 and 33 located at the lower back wall of the housing 1 and at the middle back wall of cylinder 6, respectively. I

Connected to lug 30 near support 33 is a swingable cover 34 serving as the second water seal of the invention. Swingable cover 34 is so designed to catch residual water when in closed position as in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. It covers the bottom of cylinder 6 and accomodates enough water to sufficiently submerge the lower portion of cylinder 6'in order to prevent the foul odor em anating fromvthe waste pipe 8 from polluting the air in the toilet.

When the water closet is not in use, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the preferred position of the swingable cover 34 is as shown in the drawings.

Attached to the pivot of link 28 and lever arm 29 is link 35 which moves with the lever arm 29. The other end of link 35 is hooked to an eye 36 of the operating rod of a slow-acting water valve 37. Water valve 37 connects passageway 18 to flush water source 38. The movement of lever arm 29 is governed by the movement of rod 19 and the tension spring 39 which is urges rod 19 to push down lever arm 29. As lever 29 moves downward, it rotates lug 30, which in turn, swings away the swingable cover 34, thus spilling the sealant and exposing the discharge hole 7. Simultaneously, link 35 operates the slow-acting water valve 37, preferably a SLOANvalve whose closing action is delayed by pulling the valves operating rod 40 to which it is hooked. As the water valve rod 40 is pulled outwardly, facilitated by the downward pull of the lever arm 29 appropriately sized washers 41 and 42 which are fixed at the inside extension of said rod 40 at a spaced distance relative to the elements 43 and 44 go with the movement, thereby allowing flush water to rush freely'and continuously through the passageway 18 and finally through the nozzle 17 and orifices 16.

As the above process takes place, a simultaneous action is in progress. The same movement of the rod 40 creates an artificial vacuum within the chamber or reservoir means 45 which necessarily seeps in water from the source through the clearance between the rod 40 and the element 43 until said chamber 45 is filled with the water.

When the pressure on seat 13 is removed, spring 39 urges lever 29 to return to its original position forcing rod 19, swingable cover 34, and the water valve rod 40 to return to their original positions. Within the water valve assembly 37, the upward motion of the rod 40 and the thereat integrated washer 41 pushes the trapped water in said chamber 45 and squeezes the said water through the same clearance between the said rod 40 and the said element 43. The push is further aided by the unleashing action of the compressed spring 46 anchored on the-retainer disc 47 screwably secured at the bottom side of chamber 45 and is continued to its completion so much so that all the trapped liquid has been disposed. Washer 41 which, as a unit, preferably comprises of two correspondingly shaped washers between which is-a rubberized seal or gasket to make it leakproof. I v

The pressure of the trapped liquid, on the other hand, ensures the slow action of the washer 41 which consequently provides sufficient time for all the necessary water to flow through passageway 18 before the other washer 42 shielded with a seal 48 of appropriate material shuts off the passageway 49. The water valve assembly 37 is so adjusted such that it closes after the swingable cover 34 has resumed its closed position and has been filled with enough water to seal off foul odor coming from the waste pipe. a

All metal parts of the invention are necessarily made of corrosion proof metals while the housing and toilet bowl may be made of ceramics. If desired a bedet may be attached at the water supply pipe. In areas of low water supply, a five gallon hidden or decorative water tank may be installed above the unit.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose certain preferred embodiments of this invention, but, it will be understood that these disclosures are merely illustrative and that changes in the invention maybe made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An automatic flush toilet comprising, in combination, a toilet bowl having an upper portion including at least one flushing duct for flushing of said bowl, and a bottom portion having a discharge opening; mounting means for mounting said bowl in position with said opening facing but spaced from a sewage pipe; normally closed valve means for connecting said duct to a water supply, and operable for discharging water from said supply through said duct for flushing of said bowl; reservoir means operative for storing a measured quantity of water in response to operation of said valve means; a cover mounted for pivotal movement between a closed position in which it is interposed between said opening and said pipe, and an open position in which it is displaced to one side of said opening, said cover having a cavity facing said opening when said cover is in said closed position and adapted to contain water which provides a liquid seal for said opening in order to prevent odors from said pipe from passing through said opening; and operating means for opening said valve means and simultaneously displacing said cover from said closed to said open position in response to the weight of a'user on said bowl, and for closing said valve means and returning said cover to said closed position while effecting discharge of said quantity of water from said reservoir means into said cavity in response to removal of said weight from said bowl.

2. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper portion includes an outer peripheral portion; and

further comprising a housing fast'with said peripheral portion and extending downwardly therefrom so as to sealingly enclose said bowl, said housing having an additional opening between and communicating with said discharge opening and said pipe.

3. A flush toilet as defined in claim 2, said housing having an upper peripheral marginal portion and a substantially horizontal surface extending along at least part of said marginal portion and provided with a hole communicating with the interior of said bowl; further comprising a toilet bowl seat overlying said surface and having a rear portion; and wherein said operating means comprisesa slidable rod extending through said surface and having upper and lower rod portions which are respectively located without and within said housing, a substantially horizontal shaft, an alongated member pivotableabout said'shaft and supporting said cover, and a lever arm provided on said member, said lower rod portion being pivotally connected to said lever arm and said upper rod portion abutting said, rear portion and extending above said surface thereby elevating and supporting said rear portion above said sur face in response to biasing means urging said rod upwardly. v 1 z 4. A flush toilet as defined in claim 3, wherein said operating means further comprises an operating rod for said valve means, a link connected with said operating rod and pivotally connected with said lever arm, and a biasing element for urging said valve means to the closed position thereof.

5. A flush toilet as defined in claim 3, said surface having an additional hole communicating with the interior of said housing; further comprising a guide sleeve extending sealingly through said additional hole into said housing and having a lower open end; wherein said upper and lower rod portions are discrete, said lower rod portion including an upright liquid-containing hollow receptacle having a bottom wall and a top wall provided with an opening through which said sleeve extends with said lower open end being located below the level of said liquid; and said upper rod portion slidably extending through said sleeve and having a length greater than the distance between said bottom wall and said surface.

6. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said bowl having an inner circumferential surface and said bottom including a downwardly projecting cylindrical extension provided with said discharge opening; and wherein said duct comprises a plurality of first ports arranged to discharge water onto said inner circumferential surface so as to spiral over the same, and a second port directly above said cylindrical extension at the rear of said bowl.

7. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said bowl having an upper rim portion provided with at least two transversely spaced substantially parallel slots; and further comprising a toilet bowl seat having a front portion provided with at least two guide pins adapted to be slidably accommodated in said'slots.

8. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said reservoir means comprising a chamber having a water inlet and a water outlet; further comprising means responsive to opening of said valve means for effecting filling of said chamber with water; and additional means responsive to closing of said valve means for ejecting water from said chamber through said outlet and into said cavity. 

1. An automatic flush toilet comprising, in combination, a toilet bowl having an upper portion including at least one flushing duct for flushing of said bowl, and a bottom portion having a discharge opening; mounting means for mounting said bowl in position with said opening facing but spaced from a sewage pipe; normally closed valve means for connecting said duct to a water supply, and operable for discharging water from said supply through said duct for flushing of said bowl; reservoir means operative for storing a measured quantity of water in response to operation of said valve means; a cover mounted for pivotal movement between a closed position in which it is interposed between said opening and said pipe, and an open position in which it is displaced to one side of said opening, said cover having a cavity facing said opening when said cover is in said closed position and adapted to contain water which provides a liquid seal for said opening in order to prevent odors from said pipe from passing through said opening; and operating means for opening said valve means and simultaneously displacing said cover from said closed to said open position in response to the weight of a user on said bowl, and for closing said valve means and returning said cover to said closed position while effecting discharge of said quantity of water from said reservoir means into said cavity in response to removal of said weight from said bowl.
 2. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper portion includes an outer peripheral portion; and further comprising a housing fast with said peripheral portion and extending downwardly therefrom so as to sealingly enclose said bowl, said housing having an additional opening between and communicating with said discharge opening and said pipe.
 3. A flush toilet as defined in claim 2, said housing having an upper peripheral marginal portion and a substantially horizontal surface extending along at least part of said marginal portion and provided with a hole communicating with the interior of said bowl; further comprising a toilet bowl seat overlying said surface and having a rear portion; and wherein said operating means comprises a slidable rod extending through said surface and having upper and lower rod portions which are respectively located without and within said housing, a substantially horizontal shaft, an alongated member pivotable about said shaft and supporting said cover, and a lever arm provided on said member, said lower rod portion being pivotally connected to said lever arm and said upper rod portion abutting said rear portion and extending above said surface thereby elevating and supporting said rear portion above said surface in response to biasing means urging said rod upwardly.
 4. A flush toilet as defined in claim 3, wherein said operating means further comprises an operating rod for said valve means, a link connected with said operating rod and pivotally connected with said lever arm, and a biasing element for urging said valve means to the closed position thereof.
 5. A flush toilet as defined in claim 3, said surface having an additional hole communicating with the interior of said housing; further comprising a guide sleeve extending sealingly through said additional hole into said housing and having a lower open end; wherein said upper and lower rod portions are discrete, said lower rod portion Including an upright liquid-containing hollow receptacle having a bottom wall and a top wall provided with an opening through which said sleeve extends with said lower open end being located below the level of said liquid; and said upper rod portion slidably extending through said sleeve and having a length greater than the distance between said bottom wall and said surface.
 6. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said bowl having an inner circumferential surface and said bottom including a downwardly projecting cylindrical extension provided with said discharge opening; and wherein said duct comprises a plurality of first ports arranged to discharge water onto said inner circumferential surface so as to spiral over the same, and a second port directly above said cylindrical extension at the rear of said bowl.
 7. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said bowl having an upper rim portion provided with at least two transversely spaced substantially parallel slots; and further comprising a toilet bowl seat having a front portion provided with at least two guide pins adapted to be slidably accommodated in said slots.
 8. A flush toilet as defined in claim 1, said reservoir means comprising a chamber having a water inlet and a water outlet; further comprising means responsive to opening of said valve means for effecting filling of said chamber with water; and additional means responsive to closing of said valve means for ejecting water from said chamber through said outlet and into said cavity. 